Sanitary napkin or the like



E. v'B. THOMAS SANITARY NAPKIN OR THE LIKE Filed March 1s 1925 PatentedDec.' s, 192s.

ERROLD B. THOMAS, F NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THOMAS PnoDUo'rs,

INC., OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A. CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

SANITARY NAPKIN OR THE LIKE.

Application led March 13,1925. Serial. No. 15,241.

.To all whom t may concern.:

Be it known that I, ERnoLn B. Tironxs, a citizen. of the United States.and a resident of Newton, in the county of Middlesex and State ofBifassaclnisetts, have invented an Improvement in Sanitary Napkins orthe like, of which the following description, in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters ou thedrawings representing like parts.

My invention relates to the manufacture y of absorptive devices forhygienic and surgical purposes, and more particularly aims to providean. improved ligno-cellulosevserviette, sanitary napkin or the like andmethod of making the same..

Certain ligno-cellulose materials now manufactured upon a commercialscale have been found to possess characteristics making them suitablefor use in forming surgical dressings, absorbent pads and the like,particularly celluloses or so called cellulose cotton of the coniferouswoods, including paper makers cellulose pulp and like fibrous materials.lAmong said characteristics are the high absorptive efficiency of suchwood cellulose, its lightness, its capability of being purified and, ifdesired, delivered in a sterile condition and its relativeinexpensiveness as compared for example with that of natural cotton. Oneof the important advantages of such material from a practical viewpoint,perhaps the most important advantage particularly in its application tosanitary napkins, with which my invention is especially though notexclusivelyT concerned, is its ability readily to disintegrate thuspermitting the article easily to be disposed of after use, as throughthe usual toilet facilities without liability of causing stoppages inthe plumbing systems.

On the other hand there have heretofore been certain objectionablefeatures in sanitary napkins or serviettes formed of wood cellulose. Dueto the extremely high absorptive properties of thatmaterial-approximately five times that required by the United StatesGovernment standard for hospital dressings-and to its extreme lightnessand tenuous nature it is apt to become permeated too quickly by theliquid to be absorbed, with objectionable results. A further objectionhas been found in the tendency of the fibres to mat together at thesistingA of a film or thin sheet of the wood Bussum edges of the pad, asduring the cutting or stamping out thereof from a larger sheet or .stripof the material, sometimes resulting, particularly in the less expensivegrades of wood cellulose in relatively stiff or wiry formations whichtend to cause irritation.

In accordance with my invention means is provided. whereby saidobjections are wholly overcome while at the same time the generalsoftness, flexibility and, most important, the ability of the pad todisintegrate rapidly and easily when discarded after use are in no wiseimpaired.

In the drawings showing by way of example one embodiment of my inventionand illustrating one method of making the same:

Fig. l is a bottom plan or outer side view 4 of a serviette or sanitarynapkin embodying one form of my invention and constructed in accordancewith one method thereof;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation tive element oflfig. l;

Fig. 3 is a detail upon a scale of a portion of Fig. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the absrptive elementor pad l., as best seen in Figs. 2 and 3, comprises a multiplicity oflayers 2, 2, etc., each conof the absorpgreatly enlarged cellulose orother cellulosic material above referred to, any desired number ofsuitable layers or tenuous films being employed. Desirably at leastthirty of the thinnest and most tenuous wood cellulose films practicallymanufaeturable are superposed.

As above pointed out such a package or pad is highly absorptive, light,flexible and readily separable or capable of being disintegrated afteruse. lt will, however, become too quickly penetrated from the inner tothe outer side by the fluid to be absorbed. To overcome this defect Ihave devised means whereby one side or surface, that upon the outsidewhen the napkin is applied to the body, is rendered moisture proof, sothat the absorbed liquid is retained by the. pad and prevented frompenetrating through its outer surface, and this without detractingappreciably from the flexibility of the napkin or its ability to Ibedisintegrated.

Said moisture proof surface for the pad Cil is indicated at 3 in Figs. 2and 8. It will be noted that it constitutes but a very small fraction ofthe total thickness of the pad.

Said surface 3 is, in accordance with my 1nvention, so applied that thepad as awhole.

is not stiffene or rendered less flexible nor are the greater majorityof the sheets or films 2, 2, etc. in any Wise unified or inseparablyconnected. -I obtain said results preferably by subjecting a sheet ofWood cellulose or other cellulosic material similar to the film-likesheets Qbut of a closer texture, less tenuous and heavier to a bath of aspecial moisture proofing material. In practice said material may be -arubber or rubber-like compound or a high-melting paraiin or Wax, saidmaterial being of high flexibility when dry, not stiff or harsh, andhaving a melting point Well above body temperatures so as not to berendered viscous or sticky thereby. Since an important object of myinvention is to add substantially no stiffness to the pad and not tohinder it from disintegrating when desired and yet to provide a moistureproof surface many materials such as starch, cement-like material,low-melting glues and certain gum sizes and the like have been foundWholly unsatisfactory.

In forming the absorbent pad embodying my invention and in accordancewith the method thereof a multiplicity of film-like strips or Webs ofthe Wood cellulose are superposed or piled in any suitable manner, asbyv feeding from a roll. The moisture proofing surface is then applied.Since any moisture proofing material must not penetrate the pad toanysubstantial degree it is undesirable to apply said material either ina spray or other form directly to the superposed webs, the absorptive,properties of the latter being so marked that any material suitable forthe purpose and so applied will impregnate the webs or enetrate them sofar as to make them sti and not readily separable. Accordingly Ipreferably provide a sheet or web of Wood cellulose or other cellulosicmaterial of appreciably greater substance than said multiplicity of Websand conduct the same through a bath of the moisture roofing materialsuch as above mentioned, Idrain it of any excess material, and then layit desirably While still moist, u n the superposed webs. Said sheet issu ciently substantial to retain practically all of the said moistureproofing material', so that but one, or at the most a very smallplurality of the underlying films, will be penetrated by the material,Aas indicated y the stippling in Fig. 3. -Said Waterproofed sheet Willbelightly held in position by the material but preferably is entirelyfree of positive securing means such as stitches or the like.

The superposed webs,- nowv moistureproofedon one surface, are thendivided up into packages or pads of the desired size and shape,substantially as illustrated in Figs. 1 andA 2. Preferably said Webs arefed beneath or between rotary cutting dcvices which desirably areprovidedwith serrated edges and which sever the material with a sawingrather than a pressure-cutting or`pinching action. In said manner thefibres are not matted or compacted at the severed edges lbut areactually separated or frayed, as indicated at 4 in Figs. 1 and 3.

Suitable means for supporting or attaching the absorbent pad thus formedis then provided, herein comprising a covering or envelope of gauze 5Wrapped about the pad Without fastening thereto and extendinglongitudinally beyond the same at opposite ends, affording attachingflaps 6, 6. Said covering as well as the pad itself, is desirably freeof stitching or other securing means so that it may easily be removedafter use of the napkin and disposed of separately but permissably inthe same manner as the reifdily disintegrated absorbent element itse Incertain of the claims I have defined the part made up of the layers 2 asforming a pad portion, and have referred to said pad portion With theadditional part 3, as together constituting the pad. It will be notedthat-the pad portion is readily disintegrable so that the pad almost inits entirety is disintegrable and the entire pad is capable of similardisposal after use.

While for the purpose of illustration I have referred to film-likestrips or Webs of cellulosic material forming the main portion of thepad, Which filmdike strips I deem preferable, it Will be understood thatWithin the scope of my invention a plurality of layers, sheets, or Websof like cellulosic material of a greater or less thickness may beemployed so long as the desired characteristies of softness,flexibility, ability to disintegrate and the others above mentioned areretained.I

My invention is not limited to the specific form or method herein shownand described` the scope thereof being pointed out in the followingclaims.

Claims:

1. In a sanitary napkin, a multiplicity of su erposed, thin lWebs ofwood cellulose orming a pad portion which is readily disintegrable afteruse, and an additional soft, flexible thin sheet of substantiallysimilar material suitably moisture-proofed and laid upon said padportion without positive attachment thereto, affording no obstruction tothe disintegration of the said pad portion, and being itself capable ofdisposal in the same manner as .the said pad portiomwhereby a moistureproofed fiexible and non-irritating kpad readily disinte `gauze enveloprable almost in"Y its entirety, and all capab e of similar disposalafter use, is provided.

In a sanitary napkin, a multiplicity of super-posed, thin Webs of woodcellulose, constituting a pad portion and an additional thin sheet ofsimilar wood cellulose of a closer texture than that of said films,suitably moisture-proofed and laid upon said pad portion Withoutpositive attachment thereto, the edges of said cellulose sheets beingfrayed and uncompacted in the formation of said pad portion to avoid allpossibility of irritation thereby to the user.

3. A sanitary napkin comprising a plurality of tenuous Webs ofligno-cellulose inaterial in super-posed relation forming a soft, highlyflexible absorbent pad portion readily `disintegrable when discardedafter use, an envelope of gauze surrounding said flexible pad portionand retaining the said plurality of Webs in said superposed relation andextending longitudinally beyond the latter at their opposite ends toprovide securing means for the napkin, and a thin layer of materialsimilar in ycharacter to that of the said ad portion suitably moistureproofed and3 constituting moisture-retaining means at the outer face ofsaid pad portion intermediate the latter and said e and held in positionthereby, `said moisture-retaining means having substantially the samedegree of flexibility and softness vas that of the said pad portion,whereby the softness and flexibility of the latter are preserved, andbeing free of positive attachment to the pad portion thereby presentingno obstruction to the ready disintegration of the latter when freed fromproofing material is prevented from permeating more than one or a smallty of the adjacent sheets, said sheets transversely desired size.

5. That method pluraliand in dividing into pads of the of making` anabsorbent pad particularly adapted for hygienic and surgical purposeswhich consists in superposing a multiplicity of film-like sheets of Woodcellulose of relative large area, in applying moisture-proofing materialto a sheet ol. similar but desirably less tenuous Wood cellulose, inllaying said moisture proofed sheet when drained but moist upon saidmultiplicity of sheets whereby the moisture proofing material is meatingmore than one or a small plurality of the .adjacent sheets and individing said sheets transversely into pads of the desired size by asaw-cutting action whereby the edges of said pads are prevented frommatting.

ln testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specication.

ERROLD B. THOMAS.

prevented from per`

